What space is an epidural placed?
The epidural space is the area between the dura mater (a membrane) and the vertebral wall, containing fat and small blood vessels. The space is located just outside the dural sac which surrounds the nerve roots and is filled with cerebrospinal fluid.
How is an epidural anesthesia performed?
Epidural anesthesia involves the insertion of a hollow needle and a small, flexible catheter into the space between the spinal column and outer membrane of the spinal cord (epidural space) in the middle or lower back. The area where the needle will be inserted is numbed with a local anesthetic.
Are there nerves in epidural space?
The epidural space contains fat, the dural sac, spinal nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue (Table 3).
What nerves run through the epidural space?
Cephalad, the epidural space connects with the venous sinuses of the skull, namely the basilar, occipital, and sigmoid sinuses. Caudad, the vertebral venous plexuses are connected to the sacral venous plexus, creating a link to the uterine and iliac veins.
Are there veins in epidural space?
The epidural space exists between the dura and ligamentum flavum. The epidural space contains fat, veins, spinal arteries, and lymphatics. The epidural veins are a part of the large internal vertebral venous plexus, which communicates with the occipital, sigmoid and basilar sinuses superiorly in the cranium.
Does the brain have epidural space?
The extradural space is a potential space inside the cranial vault and is not normally appreciable unless there is an underlying pathology 1. This is in contrast to the epidural space of the spinal cord which contains epidural fat, lymphatics, blood vessels, and nerve roots 1, 2. The two spaces are not continuous.
What is unique about the epidural space?
The epidural space runs the length of the spine. The other two “spaces” are in the spinal cord itself. The epidural space contains fat, veins, arteries, spinal nerve roots and lymphatics. The fat in the epidural space helps absorb shock, which protects the other contents in the area, as well as the dura.
Why epidural space is a potential space?
In the head, the epidural space is known as a potential space, which means that normally it does not exist. In rare circumstances, a torn artery (e.g. the middle meningeal artery) may cause bleeding which is sufficient to create epidural space; this is an epidural hematoma.
Why is there no epidural space in the brain?
The epidural space contains blood vessels (veins) and fat. The dura mater surrounding the brain, the cerebral dura, in contrast adheres to inner periostal lining of the skull bones. So there is no (normally) epidural space, but such space may arise in case of bleeding (epidural bleeding).
Why is it called epidural?
Epidural administration (from Ancient Greek ἐπί, “on, upon” + dura mater) is a method of medication administration in which a medicine is injected into the epidural space around the spinal cord.
Where is the epidural injected?
An epidural injection is an injection of medication into the space around the spinal cord, also known as the epidural space, to provide temporary or prolonged relief from pain or inflammation. The epidural space is the outermost part of the spinal canal.
What is the difference between the epidural space and the subarachnoid space?
The spinal canal is divided into epidural, subdural and subarachnoid spaces. The epidural space, bordered medially by dura, contains fat and vascular structures. The subdural space is a virtual space in between the dura and arachnoid membrane. The subarachnoid space is home to the CSF, spinal cord and nerve rootlets.
Why is anesthesia injected into the epidural space instead of the subarachnoid space?
Why do you think the anesthetic is injected into the epidural space instead of the subarachnoid space? Injecting into the subarachnoid space puts the needle right next to the spinal cord and makes it easier to accidentally injure it. CSF is withdrawn here to avoid injuring the spinal cord, which ends at L1-L2.
Is epidural painful to inject?
Does it hurt when the epidural is administered? The physician anesthesiologist will numb the area where the epidural is administered, which may cause a momentary stinging or burning sensation. But because of this numbing, there is very little pain associated with an epidural injection.
How many times can you get epidural?
Dr. Andrus told me that you can safely have multiple epidurals in a year, but usually not more than 3 or 4. Too much steroid can be a bad thing, so a good physician makes sure to monitor how much steroid is administered to an individual over a certain period of time.